B.C.’s Legislative Assembly has the highest share of female members among Canadian legislatures with 38 per cent, 11 per cent more than the total share of all legislators in Canada. Canada overall ranks 59th in the world, with with almost 27 per cent of its legislative seats held by women. (Black Press File).

Canada ranks 59th based on share of women in elected legislatures

British Columbia’s legislative assembly has the highest female share in Canada with 38 per cent

Women hold an average 24 per cent of seats in the lower houses of legislatures around the world, according to Amanda Bittner, associate professor of political science and Director of the Gender and Politics Laboratory at Memorial University, drawing on data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Canada, according to Bittner, ranks 59th in the world, with almost 27 per cent of its legislative seats held by women, which account for almost 51 per cent of the Canadian population, according to the 2016 Census. The African nation of Rwanda leads when it comes to female representation with 61 per cent of seats held by women.

Closer to home, women hold 33 out of 87 seats in B.C.’s legislative assembly, a share of almost 38 per cent. This figure gives British Columbia the highest share of elected women in Canadian legislatures. By comparison, women hold 27 per cent of the seats in the federal House of Commons (91 out of 335).